Thread: U.S. citizens denied right to in-state tuition

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

imblest - just to clarify. It's against federal law to charge citizen students out-of-state tuition if illegals receive in-state tuition. It gets confusing, I know.

"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not
lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the
basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for
any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of
the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an
amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen
or national is such a resident."

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/8/14/II/1623

So if any citizen student is paying out-of-state tuition in a state that grants in-state tuition to illegals, that citizen student is entitle to in-state tuition as well.

Thank you for that, I have posted that link on FaceBook out of concern for friends, and their family and friends, that might be having to pay out of state.

Rep. Reggie Fullwood Files HB 441 To End Tuition Discrimination

capitalsoup.com
October 21, 2011

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State Representative Reggie Fullwood (D-Jacksonville) filed legislation today to stop the practice of forcing legal residents from paying expensive out-of-state tuition at Florida’s colleges and universities.

House Bill 441 allows United States citizens to qualify for less expensive, in-state college tuition rates if they are four-year students and graduates of Florida high schools.

Currently, students who are legal citizens, but are children of undocumented immigrants, are required to pay out-of-state tuition even if they have lived in Florida their entire lives.

“Florida’s current policy denies many United States citizens a pathway to a better life because they are forced to pay much higher college tuition than students paying in-state rates,â€

I've filled out the FAFSA for my kids quite a few times and have been audited twice. It makes me wonder how they audit parents who are illegally here,

Simple answer they don't ...they can't get audited if they don't file a tax return!!!! There all schooled in how to get the freebee's

Anchor Babies Sue Fla. Over Tuition


Last Updated: Fri, 10/21/2011 - 2:57pm

In a case that could set a national precedent, Florida anchor babies are suing public education officials for making them pay the higher college tuition rate charged to out-of-state students because their parents are in the U.S. illegally.

Born in the United States to illegal aliens, the students were required to prove that their parents are in the country legally in order to pay the discounted tuition fee offered to Florida residents at public colleges and universities. Most states offer the same perk, which saves residents a big chunk of change at taxpayer-funded schools.

That’s why controversy has erupted recently over states, many of them cash-strapped, that grant the public benefit to illegal immigrants. This case is different, however, because the plaintiffs were actually born in the U.S. Florida has long required students to provide evidence of their parents’ citizenship to get discounted college tuition, even when the kids graduated from a local high school.

The policy is discriminatory and a clear violation of the equal-protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, according to a complaint filed in federal court this week by five students who were charged higher out-of-state tuition. "Many talented American students must either forgo higher education or incur extraordinary costs, in both money and time, in order to obtain the same education made available to other Florida residents at a small fraction of the cost," the suit says.

A nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry filed the complaint in Miami on behalf of the students. It’s part of a broader effort to “reform school policies that unnecessarily push students out of school or otherwise limit their opportunities for a successful future.â€